Paul Abbott is Chief Executive of Conservative Way Forward and an Associate Director at Portland Communications.

Most of the time, you can judge a man by the company he keeps.

Consider then the “darkness visible” settling across Corbyn’s Labour Party. The wild cheering from the veritable Who’s Who of James Bond villains, criminals, and assorted Britain-haters, as Jeremy Corbyn romped home to 60 per cent of the Labour Party vote.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld – if he existed – would no doubt have raised an expensive glass of schnapps to Comrade Corbyn, from the avuncular gloom of his volcano base. Professor Moriarty would surely have fired off a coded telegram, pledging his undying loyalty to Labour HQ. To be fair: Corbyn’s crushing win has not yet – so far as we know – been publicly welcomed by Smaug the Dragon, coiled up selfishly on his hoard of nationalised gold. But, surely this is the exception that proves the rule?

‘Congratulations to @JeremyCorbyn. Hope for positive change in terms of debate, incl on our relations. #corbyncabinet’

And last, but not least, George Galloway. The former Soviet Union groupie, and ex-pal of Saddam Hussein, thought the whole shebang was “inspiring”.

It is worth putting in a caveat here. Most of the Labour people who I have met over the years are patriotic and decent. They care about the future of our country: even though I may disagree with them profoundly on what to do about it. But the difference in the Corbyn case, unfortunately, was best explained recently by Nick Cohen of The Spectator.

His point was simple: Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell are wrong ‘uns. They either hate Britain and what it stands for – or they are willing to tolerate those who do. And the British people deserve to know about it, before these people get anywhere near to power.